Canada: 5 Unusual Things To See In Toronto

Toronto is one of the most popular cities to visit in Canada. It has numerous popular tourist attractions, many of which I’m sure you’ve heard about before, including the CN Tower, the Toronto Zoo, and the St. Lawrence Market. Toronto is also a great place to base yourself if you want to visit nearby Niagara Falls. As with most major cities, Toronto is also home to a number of unusual and unique things to see and do.

Maybe you’ve visited Toronto before and done all the popular things, and now you’re looking for more offbeat things. Maybe it’s your first time in the city, and you’re looking for things to see and do off the tourist trail. Whatever it may be, don’t forget to book a centrally located IHGhotel to ensure you can explore with ease and check out our top five recommendations.

The Yorkville Rock

Surely a rock is a rock, right? Well, in Yorkville, a trendy part of town known for its unique boutique shops, you’ll find Yorkville Park and its famous Yorkville Rock. “The Rock” is approximately one billion years old. It weighs a staggering 650 tons. Originally from the Canadian glacial shield, it was broken into large segments and then reassembled in its new location.

Leslieville’s Crazy Doll House

Image via Flickr by joy_acharjee

Tchotchke House, more commonly known as the Crazy Doll House, is at 37 Bertmount Ave. in Toronto and really is a sight to behold. On this “normal” street in Toronto, you will find — in fact, you cannot miss — the Crazy Doll House. This attraction has dolls, action figures, teddy bears, and other general toys on display. Ask any local, and I’m sure he or she will be able to point the way.

The Little House

The Little House, located at Day Avenue in Toronto, is thesmallest house in the city, and probably the country as well. I’ll bet it’s the smallest house you’ve ever seen. It was built in 1912 by Arthur Weeden, who lived there with his wife for nearly 30 years. The space was originally a passageway between the two larger houses on either side of it. Weeden saw an opportunity to build on it and ran with it.

Gibraltar Point Lighthouse

First lit in 1809, the Gibraltar Point Lighthouse is now one of the oldest buildings in the city and was originally built to help boats and ships on their approach to York, the former name of Toronto. As with many old buildings, there have been rumours that the lighthouse has haunted ever since J.P. Radan Muller, the first keeper, died in mysterious circumstances in 1815.

Necropolis Cemetery

Visiting a cemetery may not be on the top of everyone’s to-do list, but at the Necropolis Cemetery, you can visit the graves of some of the most famous Torontonians dating back to 1850. The oldest cemetery in the city, it’s located at 200 Winchester Street.

We hope we have given you some ideas for your next trip to Toronto. Have you visited the city before? Or maybe you live there. We’d love to hear your non-touristy tips and recommendations.

Vicky & Chris

Thanks for joining us (Vicky & Chris, a married couple from Yorkshire, England) as we Eat, Sleep, Love and Travel our way around the world! Between us, we have been to 75 countries (long may the list grow!)

We have been travelling together since January 2007 when we took our first trip only two weeks from our first meeting to Florence, Italy.